What We Do For Best Friends
by Elphie Marky
Summary: Roger persuades Mark to go ice skating with him. But Roger won't let him fall, right?


Disclaimer: I don't own Rent

Mark trudged behind Roger as he led him into the skating rink. Ever since the first snowfall of the season two nights ago, Roger had been adamant about skating as soon as possible. Not that the indoor rink had anything to do with the freshly fallen blanket of snow covering the roads other than it would potentially become ice, but that's just how Roger worked.

Mark was actually pretty afraid to go skating. He had only been to a rink once when he was ten. Cindy took him and he had fallen so many times that he couldn't get out of bed for the rest of winter break. They even exchanged Hanukkah presents in his room that year. Luckily, nothing was broken, just bruised to the point where rolling over sent aches soaring through his body.

Roger had played ice hockey when he was younger. Of course he was a good skater. Judging Roger's typical character, Mark wasn't too sure he'd be accepting of his friend's shortcomings.

"Rog, I don't know about this," he started lacing up his skate. "I'm not very good."

"It's easy," Roger finished his left skate and looked over at Mark. "No, wait, you're doing it wrong. Let me help you."

Mark nodded and released the laces. Roger knelt in front of his friend, taking the strings in his hands and weaving them through the holes until they were tight around Mark's ankles. "Thanks."

"No problem," he sat on the bench again and put on his other skate. "Ready?"

Mark shrugged and wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck. "I'm going to fall."

"I won't let you fall," he replied, taking Mark by the scarf and leading him towards the rink. "Alone." Mark almost tripped walking in the skates after Roger.

Roger stepped onto the rink and glided in a little circle, spinning before he stopped. "See? Not hard at all."

Mark gulped. "I don't want to, it's too scary."

"Stop being a little girl," Roger commanded. "Here, just step down and hold onto the wall.

Mark moved forward slowly, one skate then two making contact with the ice. He slid a little, almost losing his balance. "Whoa!" but Roger caught him before he could fall. Roger gently pushed Mark over towards the boards of the hockey rink where Mark took a firm grip on the sides. His bare hands turned white as he held on, slowly putting one foot in front of another. It was like learning how to walk again. Roger had grown impatient and zipped around the ice three times before Mark was even halfway around.

"Let me help you," Roger stopped next to the filmmaker. The blond's face was red from the cold and fear danced in his light blue eyes. The glasses could never hide his emotions. "Here," Roger extended his hand towards Mark.

"No…"

"Why not?"

"That's what Cindy did," Mark replied. "And she always let go before I was ready."

"I won't let go."

"Promise?"

Roger nodded and reached his hand a little closer. Tentatively, Mark lifted one hand off the wall and Roger caught it. With a little tug, both hands were away from the plexi-glass; one gripping Roger's, the other waving frantically.

"Calm down," Roger said, moving slowly. "Slide your left foot up and then your right one. It's like walking, but not picking up your feet."

That made a little bit of sense to Mark. Slide one foot up, slide the other past. One foot up, the other past. "I'm doing it," he grinned sheepishly, watching his feet move forward in a clumsy glide.

"See, told you it was easy."

Mark nodded, still proud of himself for skating without the wall's assistance – even if he was gripping onto Roger's hand for dear life. "I think I can go by myself now."

"Sure?"

He nodded again, loosening his grip on Roger's hand. Roger let go and watched Mark go forward on his own. "I'm doing it, Roger, I'm doing it." One foot up, the other past.

Roger laughed as he watched his best friend take baby steps along the ice. His arms flailed a little bit and even from behind, Roger could tell he was about to fall.

"Rog…"

He skated towards Mark quickly. "I got-" he started as he slid up behind him, catching him around the waist as he went backwards. He came a little too late. Mark's weight crashed into Roger as he too went backwards, landing on the ice with a thud. "…ow."

"Eh…" Mark's head hit Roger's chest, his glasses running down his nose. "Rog?"

"I'm here… under you," he sat up a little. "I'm okay though."

"You said you wouldn't let me fall," Mark rolled off him, sitting on the ice.

"I said I wouldn't let you fall alone," he countered, pulling himself off and extending his hand to Mark.

He took it and climbed off, slowly making his way to the boards. "Thanks."

Roger nodded, softly rubbing his back. "I guess it just falls under the list of things you do for your best friend."

Mark laughed, slowly heading towards the exit of the rink. "Yeah."

"You know what else falls under that same list?" Roger grinned.

Mark shook his head. "No, what?" He reached the exit and sat down.

"Back rubs when your best friend takes the brunt of your fall," he joined Mark on the bench and began unlacing his skates.

Mark smiled. That was Roger. Of course Roger knew that Mark wasn't really a touchy-feely-contact kind of person. Then again, Roger wasn't one to jump under someone about to fall onto the ice. "Sure," he nodded. The things best friends do for each other…

Fin


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